By Steve Mims
For the first time since he was 4-years old, Jason Shedlock had to sit out a baseball season.
When Cal State San Bernardino’s 2021 season was wiped out due to COVID-19, Shedlock’s college debut was delayed a year. Living at his parents’ house about 15 minutes away in Rancho Cucamonga, he joined a few teammates for informal workouts at CSUSB.
“We had maybe four or five guys that would come out to the field every day and hit in the cages and take infield,” Shedlock said. “It was very productive. Most people were home doing remote learning.”
The cancellation of that season allowed all players to get an extra year of eligibility, which severely limited Shedlock’s time when he finally took the field in 2022. He played in just 15 games as a freshman, getting only 22 at-bats while scoring three runs.
“All those players who were scheduled to leave ended up staying another year so that was an interesting situation,” the 6-foot-1, 170-pound infielder said.
Shedlock’s time finally came this spring and he was ready for the moment. The left-handed hitter ranks fourth on the team with a .337 batting average while starting 23 games. He has scored 18 runs and driven in 12 with four doubles to help the Yotes get off to a 24-8 start.
“I think the main key has been getting out of my own way,” Shedlock said. “I have been playing baseball my whole life and if you overthink it, you will not do well. I go out and have a good time, that is when I do my best. There is something about swinging a bat that clears my mind. It makes me happy when you put in the work and start to see the outcomes you want.”
Shedlock has six multi-hit games this year and early in the season he had at least one hit in 12 of 13 games.
“For me, the main thing is attacking the first pitch,” he said. “The pitcher is going to try and get ahead on the first pitch so you know he is trying to throw a strike and if you are ready, you can smash it.”
Shedlock, who was an all-conference play at Los Osos High School, will spend the summer playing for the Springfield Drifters in the West Coast League. He will be joined by teammate Dylan O’Connor, a pitcher who played for the Drifters last season.
“I think it will be a great experience,” Shedlock said. “Dylan said it was a fun time last year so I look forward to it. I will get to play great competition and see what I can do.”
Springfield opens the season at home on June 2 against Port Angeles. Tickets for the second season at Hamlin Field are on sale now.
“My family will be able to come up and watch games and I have some friends in Washington who will watch too,” Shedlock said.
Sherlock is majoring in Sports Marketing with a desire to get into broadcasting after baseball. His favorite sports teams span the country with the Yankees, Lakers, and Bengals at the top of the list.
“My dad was from New Jersey so I have been a Yankee fan my whole life,” Shedlock explained. “My dad was not a big basketball fan so I attached to the Lakers when I was growing up. The Bengals is recent because I was not a big football fun, but a few years ago I liked what Joe Burrow playing at LSU and followed him to the NFL.”